A mass spectrometer is a scientific device that converts molecules of a biological substance into ions and then separates the ions according to their mass-to-charge ratio. In some mass spectrometers, the mass spectrum of the substance is provided in raw, analog form (profile data) to computational devices that help scientists discover biological features of interest. Profile data naturally form contiguous areas that facilitate image processing. However, the massive amount of raw, analog data that is produced sometimes hinders computational analysis that enables detection of biological features of interest. Modern mass spectrometers compress the raw, analog form to produce an abbreviated, digital form (centroid data). Centroid data do not naturally form contiguous areas, hence frustrating detection of biological features of interest to scientists.